What happened with Twilio in Syria?
Twilio announced on its Syria guidelines page that it would stop supporting SMS delivery to Syria effective 15 September 2025, and advised customers to stop sending Syria traffic and move it to other providers. Before that date, delivery to Syriatel was best-effort only.
In practice: any app still sending verification codes to Syrian numbers through Twilio will not get them delivered, and its users cannot sign up or log in.
Source: Twilio SMS guidelines for Syria
Why MsgPlus is a good replacement
Local Syriatel BMS connection
Messages go through the official Syriatel BMS gateway with approved sender names, not through international routes that may be blocked.
Built for verification codes
The platform carries OTP and confirmation messages only, the kind of traffic Syria allows and needs.
A simple API
One POST request sends a code, with ready examples and a Postman collection, so migration takes hours, not weeks.
Pricing in Syrian pounds
Pay locally in SYP, with no international cards or foreign currency.
Automatic refunds on failure
Failed messages are refunded automatically, with a detailed log for every number.
Accepts common number formats
Send 0991234567, +963991234567 or 00963991234567; the API converts it to international format.
Migrating from Twilio to MsgPlus, step by step
Create a MsgPlus account
New accounts include free trial messages to test your integration.
Get a sender name and template approved
Instead of a Twilio number or Messaging Service, you use an approved sender name and a verification template.
Generate an API key
It replaces the Account SID and Auth Token and is sent as Authorization: Bearer.
Replace the send call
Instead of client.messages.create or Verify, send a POST request to /api/v1/send with the number and code.
Generate and check the code on your server
Twilio Verify generated and checked the code for you; with MsgPlus you generate it on your server, send it, then compare it when the user types it.
# Send a verification code to a Syrian number curl -X POST https://sms.msgplus.tech/api/v1/send \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ -H "X-Timestamp: $(date +%s)" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "sender_name": "MyApp", "template_id": 1, "numbers": ["963941234567"], "vars": { "code": "482916" } }'
Twilio concepts mapped to MsgPlus
| Twilio | MsgPlus |
|---|---|
| Account SID + Auth Token | One API key (Authorization: Bearer) |
| From (number or Messaging Service) | Approved sender name (sender_name) |
| Body | Approved template + variables (template_id + vars) |
| messages.create | POST /api/v1/send |
| Message SID | sms_log_id in the response |
| Message status | GET /api/v1/sms/{id}/status |
Frequently asked questions
Does Twilio still send SMS to Syria?
No. Twilio stopped supporting SMS delivery to Syria effective 15 September 2025, according to its official guidelines page.
What is the best Twilio alternative for OTP SMS in Syria?
A gateway connected directly to a Syrian operator. MsgPlus sends verification codes over Syriatel BMS with a simple API and pricing in Syrian pounds.
How long does it take to move from Twilio to MsgPlus?
Usually a few hours: create an account, get a sender name approved, generate an API key and replace the send call on your server.
Do I need to change the phone format in my database?
No. MsgPlus accepts the local 09… format and the international +963… format and converts them automatically.
Is there a replacement for Twilio Verify?
MsgPlus delivers the code; generating and checking it happens on your server, a simple step explained in the OTP SMS guide.